The day, Larry followed through with his pns and arrived at the Solvren Ruins. Uhe Karym Ruins he had explored before, these ruins were perched on the mountainside of Mount Kira’Zan . The terrain was rough, and colpsed buildings y scattered, with only a few structures standing intact. Despite its unremarkable history, rumors about one of the Seveies of the World being hidden within the ruins had attracted treasure hunters from all over.

  Larry sed the crowd with a dising eye. Multiple groups were scattered across the area, some clearly amateur thrill-seekers, others with more refiactid equipment. With his ability, he identified several B-level Nen users among them. Just as he was about to move deeper into the ruins, aic voice called out to him.

  “Hey! Mr. Larry, hope you haven’t wait for long!” Larry turo see Piyon bounding towards him, her rabbit ears boung with every step. Beside her stood a tall, lean man in a bck suit, exuding an air of professionalism. His vender hair and perfectly groomed beard were unmistakable.

  Satotz... Larry reized him immediately—the first examiner of the 287th Hunter Exam. Though not as well-known as others, Satotz was a respected figure in the Hunter Association, known for his dedication to preserving ruins.

  Piyon beamed, introdug him enthusiastically. “This is my colleague from the association, Mr. Satotz! He’s a reliter here to help explore the ruins.”

  Satotz extended a polite hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Larry.”

  Larry shook his hand, noting Satotz’s firm grip and posed demeanor. Despite his polite exterior, there was an undeniable strength beh.***Name: SatotzStrength: B+ to A-ype: (Unknown) Abilities: (Unknown)***

  Larry wasn’t surprised to see that Satotz’s strength hovered between B+ and A-. The gap between major ranks in Nen was vast, and many users found themselves pteauing before reag the stage. Satotz smiled warmly, sensing Larry’s scrutiny. “I’ve heard about your skills from Piyon. I must say, it's rare to meet someoh such a sharp eye for antiques.”

  Larry waved it off modestly. “Just a hobby.”

  With the introdus done, Piyon wasted no time chattiedly. “So, Mr. Larry, why are you looking for Water Gze?”

  Larry nodded. “It’s not every day you hear about one of the Seveies. Figured I’d see it for myself.”

  Satotz adjusted his tie. “It’s araordinary find if the rumors are true. The Solvren Ruins have been hidis for turies, but few have ventured deep enough to uhem.”

  After some discussion, Larry, Pyorn, and Satotz shared their reasons for expl the Solvren Ruins. Pyorn and Satotz had dual objectives: personal curiosity about the ruins and fulfilling a mission assigned by the Hunter Association.

  The sudden disappearance of the death aura from the Karym Ruins and the discovery of hints about the Dark ti had put the Association on high alert. Their was that these mysterious ruins, often brimming with malicious aura, might one day unleash an untrolble disaster. With only a handful of Exorcist iend all stretched thin—Pyorn and Satotz had e prepared to navigate the dangers of the ruins themselves, despite the overwhelming presence of Nen-infused death aura.

  As Larry listeo their s, he remained calm. Then, he said something that left the pair stunned. "Actually... I take care of the death aura for you."

  Pyorn tilted her head, her rabbit ears twitg in fusion. “Wait, you remove the]m? Are you serious?”

  Larry gave her a fident smile, and before either could ask further, a burst of purple-bergy erupted from his shadow. “Geng Ar! Geng Ar!” Out leapt Gengar, its mischievous grin widening as it opes gaping mouth. In an instant, a powerful su force surged through the air.

  The deathly aura that had bhe area began swirling tengar, funneling into its mouth. It wasn’t just ing the aura—it was dev it with almost gluttonous delight.

  In mere moments, the oppressive death aura that had hauhe ruins was gone, leaving the space eerily . “Th-This is...” Satotz’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  “A... Exorcist?” Pyorn stammered, barely able to process what she’d just witnessed. For both seasoned hunters, seeing a Exorcist in a was akin to witnessing a miracle. Iire Hunter Association, only one elderly Exorcist was known to exist. Now, a casual acquaintance had just casually erased a rge swath of death aura as though it were nothing.

  But that wasn’t the most shog part. Gengar was still going, eagerly dev the lingering traces of death aura as though it were a delicacy. The area of clear space around them tio expand rapidly, as if Gengar were carving out an oasis in the middle of a cursed nd. Pyorn rubbed her eyes furiously. “This... this has to be some kind of illusiht? There’s no way...”

  Satotz, however, had a more posed response. After the initial shock, his mind raced with es. “Wait,” he murmured. “Could it be? Mr. Larry... were you involved in the disappearance of the death thoughts at the Karym Ruins?”

  Larry, still calm, nodded. “That’s correct. Gengar removed all the death aura there as well.”

  Satotz’s jaw dropped, and for a brief moment, the stoic reliter’s professional demeanor cracked. “Incredible,” he whispered. “You’re not just a Exorcist. You might be... the stro Exorcist in the world!”

  Pyorn, meanwhile, was pletely stunned. It took Satotz expining the significe of the Karym Ruins i for her to fully uand the magnitude of Larry’s abilities. One man, erasing all the death aura in aire ruin in record time? Such a feat was unheard of in the Hunter world. To possess such power wasn’t just rare—it ractically divine.

  Satotz’s voice trembled slightly as he asked the question both were desperate to know. “With a Nen ability this powerful, there must be some kind of cost, right?”

  Pyorn’s ears drooped slightly as she echoed the se. “Yeah... something this extraordinary must e with a huge price...”

  Larry preteo sider the question, stroking his dramatically. “Well, the price is... pretty signifit.”

  The solemnity in his tone made their hearts sink. Satotz and Pyorn exged worried gnces, already imagining the worst. ‘Was it life force? A drastic redu in lifespan? The cost of living with such power surely had to be immense...’

  “The price is...” Larry began, before pausing for effect. “...Gengar’s belly gets bigger. And, of course, it gets strooo.”

  “...” “HUH?!” Both Pyorn and Satotz yelled in unison, their voices eg through the now-cleared ruins.

  “You’re telling me... there’s no real cost?!” Pyorn excimed, pointing at Gengar, who was now zily patting its rounded belly and lig its lips, clearly satisfied with its feast.

  Larry nodded with a smile. “Yep. Gengar just gets strohat’s it.”